


i don't believe that anybody feels the way i do about you now

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, as usual harry's unpopular and niall is not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-09-09
Packaged: 2017-12-26 04:07:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It happens way too fast and it is over way too soon. But it is not without meaning and Harry’s blood feels thick inside of him and he feels like he’s being transported back to sixth grade year at the bus stop and how his breath hadn’t even made it pass his airways and how light headed he had felt. And it was because of Niall… it is all because of Niall. </p><p>~~</p><p>Harry pines and Niall doesn't... but they begin somewhere.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i don't believe that anybody feels the way i do about you now

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt: i want a fic based off of teenage dirtbag!! where harrys a loser ish dude who has a big crush on niall-the pretty blonde in his gym class-and harrys all sad and whiny about how niall would never like him back and blah blah blah but then!! at prom night niall walks over to the table hes sitting at all grumpy and they chat and then niall asks harry if he wants to get out of there to go see their favorite band thats playing that night and after the concert niall kisses harry goodnight!!! please!
> 
> ~~
> 
> I really hoped whoever requested this likes it. Thank you, much love sweetheart!

 “Harry!” Louis shouts snapping his fingers in front of Harry’s face causing Harry to jump half a mile in the air and then run into the open locker in front of him. Louis snorts out a loud laugh and Harry doubles over, hand immediately flying to the goose egg already forming on his head. Of fucking course that would happen to him. And when he looks up again _he’s_ gone, Niall’s gone probably on Zayn Malik’s arm giggling and blushing and yeah. Harry’s sort of pathetic like that, swooning over a boy who probably doesn’t even know his last name.

“Louis.” Harry groans standing up and looking down at Louis who’s shaking his head and ‘tsking’ at Harry. They’re both walking side by side, making their way to the cafeteria and before Harry ran smack dab into a locker Louis was talking about prom plans and Harry was really trying to listen really but then Niall had come into his line of vision with his polo shirt and his pink cheeks… and Zayn Malik with the tattoos and the felony record and Harry couldn’t help but to block Louis out. It’s not hard he’s been doing it for years.

“You know, you’re really pathetic.” Louis says as they take their food and walk over to their usual table where Liam already is, books laid out in front of him probably scrambling to get his math homework done. Liam may have tons of street smarts but when it comes to actually doing school work he’s hopeless especially since his new girlfriend Sophia is a college girl and Liam’s always trying to impress her by staying up late and doing dumb shit.

Harry sneers at the huge purple hickey on Liam’s neck.

“Hello, failure.” Louis greets Liam.

“Don’t say it, Louis.” Liam groans.

“I will say it. You’re stupid and Sophia’s stupid and you should just break up with her.” Harry rolls his eyes, sticks an apple slice in his mouth, and looks over at the table next to them where Niall is. Since Niall is volleyball captain and probably one of the most popular kids in school his table is not really packed, only a select few are actually sitting there and looking way too smug seeming to forget that it’s high school and the whole thing isn’t _that_ serious. The girls at the table are flipping their hair and showing off their nose rings while the guys are talking loudly about sports because it’s apparent every other subject is off limits to the herd of boys in his school.

And see that’s half the reason Niall fascinates Harry to the point of infatuation. While Niall’s meat head friends are being Neanderthals Niall is reserved and talking to Zayn in a hushed voice and Harry ignores the Zayn part of the equation, the fact that Zayn is a pyromaniac who brings a gun to school (or so he’s heard) but he focuses on the fact that Niall would rather talk to his boyfriend rather than join his friends. And he switches spots with Zayn in his mind and he sighs thinking about how it would feel to be the one person that Niall Horan actually gave the time of day to.

“Oh my god! Harry can you stop staring, it’s creepy.” Louis hisses and Harry turns and narrows his eyes.

“I am not staring.” He’s the king of denial.

“You’re totally staring.” Liam says and Harry hates the fact that Liam always sides with Louis (maybe it has to do with the fact they both have big fat boners for each other).

“I just want him to notice me.” Harry says ignoring the whining tone in his voice.

“Not this again.” Louis mutters but Harry can’t stop and he isn’t trying to be annoying and whiny but it’s Niall and Harry doesn’t know what Zayn has that he doesn’t. Okay he kind of does. Zayn is to quite simply put it hot. With his inky black hair and the intense brown eyes and those tattoos Zayn is like walking talking sex but Zayn seems more surface rather than substance but Harry’s a little biased.

“I would be so much better for him.” Harry mutters chewing the apple slices quickly not even giving himself actual time to taste them.

“I’m sure you would.” Louis says disinterested in Harry’s crisis. “Anyways prom is coming up guys. Who’re you going with, Liam?”

“I don’t know… I might invite Sophia.”

“You can’t!” Louis screeches and both Harry and Liam jump. Liam raises a thick eyebrow and drops his pencil while Harry just snorts and wonders offhandedly about Niall and Zayn going to prom, probably going to look like a power couple in their suits and… faces. Pretty stupid faces. Harry probably isn’t even going, he might stay home or if his uncle needs someone that night he might be at the record shop. Prom is overrated in his opinion, so many expenses for a night of possible teen pregnancy and aides? He’s fine with staying home.

“Oh?” Liam asks smirking. “Why’s that?”

“Because she already had a prom and college girls think proms are lame. I mean what twenty year old woman wants to go to prom with an eighteen year old boy?” Louis’ good at improvising and not panicking something Harry wishes he was good at. Liam on the other hand just rolls his eyes.

“I’m not really bringing Sophia, Louis.”

“Oh… so who’re you bringing?” And Harry tunes them out because Liam is not going to give Louis the answer he wants and Louis will be upset and they’ll fight then they’ll makeup like an old married couple and Harry really doesn’t have time for that. He rests his cheek in his palm and he watches as Zayn and Niall get up, hands intertwined and they’re about to walk out the door but not before his and Niall’s eyes catch for a split second and then they’re gone and Harry’s heart can’t stop beating.

**

Harry loves P.E. And no he doesn’t love doing pointless things like climbing ropes and kicking balls it’s more of the fact that Niall’s in that class. Niall who’s always so concentrated and Zayn-free and who’ll probably remove his shirt midway through any sport they’re playing. Niall is currently doing up his laces on the other side of the volleyball court with Cher Lloyd laughing at something he’s saying and Harry wishes he could hear it whatever it is.

If Harry were Liam him and Niall would probably already be friends through their mutual love for sports, if he were Louis he’d probably be brave enough to approach Niall and talk about anything whatsoever without thinking of consequences, but he’s neither Liam nor Louis and he settles for studying from afar. Someone hits him with a ball and when he looks up it’s the big overly competitive kid Dan who shakes his head.

“Focus, Styles.” He says and Harry really wishes he could.

**

His uncle’s record store isn’t a big deal probably because not many people even buy records anymore. Mostly oldies come through the door and the occasional teenager but other than that working there is pretty tame but he really loves it. He loves the smell of the vinyl records and the thrift shop curtains pulled back and the dingy couch next to the window and the smell of coffee and tea that mingle together daily. The record store has become somewhat of a home to him, a place he goes where he just needs to find solace in music.

An Abba song is currently playing as Harry’s doing his homework, his coworker Jade is texting her boyfriend Rick and popping her strawberry bubble gum loudly and with abandon as if she’s forgotten that Harry’s right there, with every pop Harry twitches. The bell above the door sounds signaling someone coming in and when Harry looks up he drops his pencil because of course of course it’s Niall and Zayn.

“Good afternoon, can I help you with anything?” Jade asks loudly with her usual chipper attitude.

“Hey aren’t you in our school?” Zayn asks looking at Harry and ignoring Jade’s question. Harry blushes and Zayn turns to Niall. “He is, isn’t he?”

“Yeah I think he is… Harry is it?”

“Uhm yeah the one and only.”

“Cool, cool… uhm do you have Mylo Xyloto here?” Niall asks looking around the store as if the record will suddenly emerge in front of him.  

“Uh yeah I can show you if you like.” Harry ignores the way he’s stammering and the way his hands are shaking because he’s actually talking to Niall with the blonde hair and snowy skin and just… impossible eyes and lips.

“Yeah that’d be great. I’m kind of obsessed with it and I have it on my iPod but I really want the vinyl.” Niall says as him and Zayn allow Harry to lead them to the section where Coldplay is categorized.

“I am too.” Harry says.

“I told you it’s a great album, Zayn.” Niall says pinching Zayn’s side.

“I never said it was a bad album.”

“You implied it.” Niall says and then he turns to Harry with the kind of smile that makes the butterflies in Harry’s stomach pound against his chest cavity threatening to escape. “Thanks, Harry. You know they have a concert in a couple of weeks?”

“Yeah I heard that.” Harry says and he doesn’t tell Niall how he’s basically been scouring the internet looking for the best tickets and fantasizing about going with Niall… he’s so hopeless. All he really does is fantasize about Niall, thinks about him smiling and playing volleyball and being… Niall.

“Gonna be sick. They’re absolute legends.” Niall leans down and takes the record, he looks at it with a small serene smile on his face and Harry can’t look away because Niall’s extraordinary… been extraordinary since the first time Harry saw him at the bus stop that sixth grade year and he went home and he had a twelve year old crisis about then brunette hair and pale skin and crooked teeth and what it all meant.

Eventually Niall buys the record and both him and Zayn leave but not before Niall says, “See you in school, Harry.” And he leaves and Harry waves at him and he can’t take his eyes off the door.

“Oh.” Jade says like she’s just solved the biggest puzzle and when Harry looks over at her she has this shit eating grin on her face.

“Oh what?” Harry asks.

“Didn’t know you were into blondes.” She says grinning wider.

**

“And then I said to Liam ‘why are you buying two tickets, I thought you were going alone?’ and then Liam says ‘nahh I’ve had my sights set on someone.’ And I’m kind of just like ‘duh, you have a girlfriend you dumbass.’ But then Liam says-,”

“Louis… get to it.” Harry says and Louis nods quickly.

“Oh yeah sorry… bottom line is Liam asked me out to prom and he broke up with his college girlfriend for me… can you believe that?”

“Yeah Louis I really can.” Harry says.

“What, how?”

“He’s completely gone for you, Louis. Maybe more gone for you then you are for him.”

“That’s impossible… and Liam’s not gone for me.” Louis actually blushes when he says it and Harry laughs because it’s so rare to see confident and brash Louis blushing because he can’t seem to think that a boy could actually like him… it also breaks Harry’s heart a bit.

“Trust me he is… and I’m really happy for you two.”

“I’m happy for us too. And are you really sure that you want to go stag? Why don’t you take Cara… didn’t you two have some kind of weird thing during the summer?” Louis asks and Harry shrugs.

“I don’t want to go with Cara.” Harry mutters and Louis huffs as he strides over to Harry’s bed.

“You need to get over him… and maybe that’s a horrible pep talk but Harryit’s been _years_. Graduation is right around the corner and you guys have said a couple of sentences to each other… nothing’s happening any time soon and there are other people, Haz.” Louis sounds quite frankly frustrated and Harry can see him resisting the urge to run a hand through his feather like brown hair. Harry turns around until his back is facing Louis and he’s facing the wall.

“You’re right that’s a horrible pep talk.”

“Harry Edward Styles do not turn away from me. I am your best friend and I have listened to you talk about this boy for years so give me a break okay? He’s not going to come throwing rocks at your window like this is some kind of genius movie about the power of teenage love.” Louis says and Harry rolls his eyes but he does turn back so he’s facing Louis who grins. “Stag or not I just don’t want you miserable.”

“I’m not going to be miserable.” Harry huffs.

“You’re always miserable you numb-nut.”

**

Harry hates prom. Harry hates the dolled up girls and the dressed up guys and this itchy suit he’s in and the shitty music he hears on the radio all the time that is constantly playing right then and he hates how about everybody has a date and he’s the loser sitting alone in the hard white chair next to the punch table with a cup of it in his hands. Louis is dancing wildly to Old Time Rock N’ Roll and Liam is smiling that one smile he reserves for Louis so Harry looks away feeling like he’s intruding on some weird kind of mating ritual.

He’s looking around the room and he’s trying to avoid the fact that maybe he’s subconsciously searching out Niall who he hasn’t seen all night but that isn’t his fault okay? He continues taking sips of his punch and he’s trying really hard not to be miserable because he promised Louis when a pair of dress shoes appear in his line of vision. His eyes stray up slowly and he feels a gasp escape from his lips and his fingers clench around the red cup.

It’s Niall.

“Hey, Harry.” Niall says voice sounding thick and kind of… sad. Niall wipes his eyes but the smile doesn’t drop from his face once. Harry can’t believe that Niall even remembers his name, can’t believe that Niall is talking to him when he could be… enjoying himself. He wonders what Niall’s even doing wonders if Niall’s playing a joke on him.

“Hi, Niall.” Harry chokes out.

“This is going to sound crazy but uhm,” Niall scratches his neck and he looks down and Harry can’t believe that Niall Horan is talking to him and blushing? Is it even real life? “I have two tickets to that Coldplay concert and maybe you’d like to I don’t know ditch this place.”

“You wanna ditch prom?” The _with me_ lies heavily between them. Harry is quite confused because not only is Niall Horan asking to ditch prom he looks like he’s going to burst into tears and even then, red face and rosy cheeked he still looks beautiful like something out of a movie.

“Yeah, I really do.” Niall says.

“I- sure, I guess.” Harry says it fast with the words spilling out before he can swallow them but there is no way he’s going to turn down Niall. Niall’s lips stretch over white teeth and Harry’s brain short circuits as Niall reaches down and grabs his hands.

“Let’s go then.” He says and they go.

**

“That was sick! That was really fucking sick!” Niall keeps repeating it over and over again as him and Harry stumble out of the arena, hordes of bodies pushing past them with the overall buzz of being a part of something like that settling inside of them. Harry’s eyes keep dilating probably because of the amount of flash and lights in one place but god Niall was right next to him and their shoulders kept bumping and it felt like static was accompanying the space in between them… like they were the only power source to the arena.

“Didn’t ya like it?” Niall asks him when Harry snaps out of his thoughts.

 “I loved it.” Harry says as both of them scramble into his car.

“Best thing I’ve ever seen in a long time.”

“It was it really was.” Harry says and then they’re both silent, the simple whirring of the car engine the only thing they can hear. Harry’s fingers drum on the steering wheel as he hums a song under his breath and he almost misses what Niall says but he doesn’t.

“What?” He asks to make sure he’s heard properly.

“I’m really happy you came with me.” Niall’s head is leaned on the car window and he’s looking out of it but Harry can see the way his cheeks color and the way he fiddles with his fingers. Harry wants to reach over and twine their fingers together and kiss every single one of Niall’s knuckles but right then he settles with keeping his hands to himself.

“I’m really happy you invited me.” He replies.

“You’re probably really dying to ask the question huh?” Niall asks and Harry furrows his eyebrows.

“What do you mean?”

“Why didn’t Zayn go with me?” Niall says and Harry’s face relaxes. His mind hasn’t strayed to Zayn the whole night because he knows if it did it would only cause him to overthink things and he really wanted to enjoy Niall standing next to him, didn’t want to think about boyfriends or responsibilities or the fact that the whole thing would probably never happen again. When Harry doesn’t say anything Niall sighs, “Guess it doesn’t really matter now does it?”

Harry puffs out a breath of fresh air, “Guess it doesn’t.”

“You know what does matter though?” Niall asks.

“What?”

“Having spent the night with you. Not letting some boy make me miserable. I haven’t enjoyed myself like that in such a long time you don’t understand… god I feel like I could just do anything.” Niall says and he sounds relieved like he’s been holding a breath for a long time or like someone’s been sitting on his chest for too long.

“I think you can.” Harry says because he does he really does. And because he’s happy and feeling a bit brave he reaches over and he does twine their fingers but he continues watching the road, the lights coming in at full force and once it was the purring of the engine but now the only sound is his heart beating in his rib cage. Like a metronome it doesn’t stop and it’s steady… it is reassuring and it is kind and it reminds him to keep his mind clear so that he doesn’t end up floating away.

He stops the car at a red light and he turns his head to look at Niall to maybe tell him about sixth grade and the bus stop and how confused Niall had made him but he had looked lovely then with his once brunette hair and his always pale skin. But he doesn’t get that chance because Niall reaches over, careful not to touch the gear shift as his lips touch Harry’s. Harry’s eyes flutter close and he focuses on the pressure on his lips and how Niall smells of expensive cologne and soap.

It happens way too fast and it is over way too soon. But it is not without meaning and Harry’s blood feels thick inside of him and he feels like he’s being transported back to sixth grade year at the bus stop and how his breath hadn’t even made it pass his airways and how light headed he had felt. And it was because of Niall… it is all because of Niall.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Personal blog: http://boybutts-oneohone.tumblr.com/
> 
> Writing Blog: http://my-hummingbirdheart.tumblr.com/


End file.
